Taylor Swift is set to showcase her acting chops once again on the silver screen, this time in an upcoming period comedy from director David O. Russell.
The film is reportedly titled Canterbury Glass. While many details are still under wraps, we do know that the Grammy-winning artist will star alongside some A-list names including Anya Taylor-Joy, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Zoe Saldana, Rami Malek, Robert DeNiro, Christian Bale and more.
Related: Then and now: 10 drastic celeb style changes.
The movie is rumoured to be set in the Regency era, which means Bridgerton fans can get their fix from the upcoming film, which has already reportedly wrapped production.
While many Swifties were thrilled to see the Folklore songstress join the cast, it’s important to note that other fans were not so pleased given Russell’s problematic past:
david o russell is a known abuser
david o russell is a known abuser
david o russell is a known abuser
david o russell is a known abuser
david o russell is a known abuser
david o russell is a known abuser
david o russell is a known abuser
david o russell is a known abuser https://t.co/jV6xfDhBDL— Ben Eales (@ben_eales) June 1, 2021
The director has publicly engaged in abusive behaviour over the years, including yelling profanities and throwing objects at his actors. Amy Adams confessed that he frequently made her cry on the set of American Hustle, and George Clooney said that the director engaged in a violent fight during filming of Three Kings and described working with Russell as the worst experience of his life. If that doesn’t already sound awful, Russell has admitted to groping his 19-year-old niece, who is trans, squeezing her breasts and asking her invasive questions about her transition.
With Hollywood’s reckoning after the #MeToo movement and the ousting of Harvey Weinstein, so many people are disappointed that Swift and other celebs are still working with Russell despite the well-documented history of his actions:
and i understand that the allegations against david o. russell haven’t received all that much press coverage but it seems bizarre to me that someone as image-conscious as taylor swift would lack even passing awareness of them
— kathleen (@fordhoIden) June 1, 2021
Did the cast not know before they signed on? If you knew, why did you ignore it? What did David O. Russell say or do to deem him worthy of another chance?
(cc: @zoesaldana, @taylorswift13, @anyataylorjoy, @chrisrock, @LelandOrser) pic.twitter.com/3tdHwpe0yg— Christine Celestin-Joseph (@chriscjoseph) June 2, 2021
Swift hasn’t appeared in any movies since her turn in the disastrous Cats adaptation, so aligning herself with a Golden Globe-winning director could be her way of rectifying the criticism around that box-office bomb. However, working with a known abuser is not the solution, particularly given how outspoken Swift has been about her past experiences with sexual assault. We hope that she learns from this incident and is more mindful of which film projects she works on in the future.
Related: NBC drops 2022 Golden Globes ceremony over lack of diversity.
